Heat exchanger



Sept 16, l941 E. c. FRANco-FERRE|RA 2,255369 HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Feb. 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l TH EJ 10/3 immuni;

Milln KMMMEMQMMMM 'l Mfg] I l la 'Sept 16, 1941. E. FRANCO-FERREIRA 2,255,969

HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Feb. 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L/E 17 C7 F Edgard C /lqanco fein/@ifa Patented Sept. 16, 1941 HEAT EXCHANGER Edgard C. Franco-Ferreira, Chicago, lll., assignor to Houdaille-Hershcy Corporation,

Detroit,

Mich., a corporation oi' Michigan Application February zo, 1940, serial No. 321,417

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a heat exchange device.

More particularly the invention relates to condensers such as are used in mechanical refrigeration. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application entitled: Method of making heat exchange devices, U.' S. Serial 241,305, filed November 19, 1938, now Patent No.

2,211,813, dated August 20, 1940.

Heretofore, it has been customary to manufacture condensers and similar types of heat exchangers from a continuous length of tubing bent in a serpentine form, or from straight lengths of tubing, the ends of Which are connected to headers provided with return flow communicating passages to form a continuous conduit for the flow of the refrigerant. The continuous type 'construction is relatively more expensive and the header type construction, using headers formed of metal stampings, is such' as to present large areas that must be perfectly sealed if leaks are to be prevented.

It has also been proposed to dispense with headers and employ shortI U bends for joining the successive ends of straight lengths of tubing forming the body of the condenser, but this has the disadvantage of presenting a great number of joints that must be perfectly sealed. The

usual Way of sealing such joints is by brazing or f solder dipping, neither of which is entirely satisfactory as'formerly practiced. Inthe brazing operation, for instance, it has been customary to employ copper or brass brazing Wiresthat must be individually laid in place adjacent the joint to be brazed, thereby necessitating a considerable amount of manual labor.

In accordance with my presentl invention, a condenser is first formed in two complementary halves, each comprising hairpin bends of tubing, and the halves so formed are then united in a single brazing operation that also serves to bond the ns to the straight, parallel legs of said tubing. The brazing operation is greatly simplified byI first plating the hairpin bends of tubing with copper, which serves as the sole brazingagent in the operation. It is a comparatively simple matter, using the method of my invention claimed in the parent application Serial No. 241,305, to obtain tight joints between the mated ends of the tubing and bonds of high thermal conductivi;v between the fins and the tubing. Also, my novel construction lends itself admirably to vthe manufacture of condensers of varying lengths, since with a minimum amount of tooling,

longer or shorter, as desired, to give a correspondingly longer or shorter length of condenser.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a novel and improved construction of heat exchange devices, or condensers, that obviates the necessity of headers and that lends itself to more economical production.

A further object of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger or condenser composed of a pair of opposed sections each including U-shaped tubing having the legs thereof inserted through end plates carrying the tubing adjacent the bend thereof and also inserted through fins spaced transversely along the lengths of the tubing legs with the ends of the tubing in the opposed sections being united together.

A further object of the invention is to provide a headerless condenser for refgrigeration systems built up from two mating half-sections joined together through the center of the condenser and each carrying a mounting bracket attached to the condenser tube.

K Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the annexed sheets of drawings which disclose a preferred form of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a broken top plan view of a heat exchanger, or condenser, embodying the principles of my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary View illustrating the method of manufacturing the condenser in twoy complementary halves.`

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the con-` denser'of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a. sectional view taken substantially along the line IV--IV of Fig. 1.

`Figure 5 is a fragmentary, broken, enlarged plan view of the condenser.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the mating ends of the tubingprior to assembly.

Figure 8 isv an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view of a modifiedform of mating ends for the tubing prior to assembly.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figs. 1,3 and 4, thereference numeral I0 indicates generally a heat exchange device vor condenser embodying the principles of my invention. Said condenser in itsfinished form comprises lengths of tubing Il, on the straight, parallel legs I2 of which are mounted transversely ex the tube length of thehalrpin bend may be made tending ns I3. Said fins I3 may suitably be provided with longitudinally extending corrgatlons I4, which serve to increase the heat radiating surface of the fins. In the preferred embobiment of nay-invention, both the tubing Hand fms I3 are formed of plain carbon or soft steel. End

plates I and I6, preferably of dead soft steel,

lie outside of the fins' I3 and just inside the U- bends/of the tubing.-

In//the'manufacture of the condenser I0, steel tubing is'iirst bent into 'U- or hairpin tubes, such asfthe tubes I1 and I8 (Fig. 2) with straight, parallel legs I9 and 20, respectively, of the desired length. The legs I9 of the tubes I'I are then :dared at their ends 2|, as best shown'in Fig. '1, to constitute the female members, and the corresponding ends of the legs 20 of the tubes I8 are reducezll, as vat 22, for insertion into the flared ends 2 thereof, with a coating of brazing material, represented by the layer 23 (Fig. 7), which may suit- The tubes I'I and I8 are then providedv for their full lengths, or for the straight lengths ably be a copper electroplate. The thickness of copperv plate is preferably a minimum of about 0.0006 inch, but may be more or less as required. Instead of copper plating the U-bends, a layer of copper, brass or other brazing material may be adherently applied as in powder or paste form to the tubing, or only to the swaged endsthereof.

After the tubes have ben copper plated, or otherwise provided with brazing material on their 'outer surfaces, theend platesv I5 and I6 and the fins I3 are mounted in position upon the straight lengths I9 and 20 of the respective tubes II and I8. The mounting of the fins and end plates on the straight lengths of the tubes Il and I8 may tubes I'I and associated end plates I5 and ns I3,

and the tubes I8 and associated end plates I6 and fins I3, respectively.

The complementary halves A and B are next joined by forcing the respective .ends 2I and 22 ofthe tubing into a telescopic t, each reduced end 22 being force tted into the corresponding flared end' 2| until said flared ends 2I rest in abutting relationship against the shoulders 240 of the reduced ends 22 (Fig. 6).

The assembled condenser unit I0 is next subjected to a brazing operation, which may suitably comprise passing the unit into a furnace having a non-oxidizing, or reducingatmosphere heated to asuftlciently high temperature to melt the copper of the electroplate layer 23 and cause the copper to flow into around the joints between the mating' ends 2I and 22 of the tubing and between the annular collars 24 of the ns and the outside of the tubing. In generaLatemperalture of between 1850.and 2000 F. is satisfactory for effecting the brazlng of the parts together. Higher or lower temperatures, however, may be used depending upon the metal of which the condenser is made andthe compositionof the brazing material. In a reducing atmosphere, such as an atmosphere relatively rich in hydrogen, the brazing material ilo'ws readily by virtue of .capillary action intov the close fitting joints, and

, ing.

unit after leav.` l ingtthe furnace, the Joints will be found to -be' upon the coo1ing of the condenser :duid tight and of high thermal conductivity.

As shown in Fig. l, the condenser I0 may be. provided with two or more ends for connection in a refrigerant system, such as 'thevends 25 and 26 at the extremities of the tubing, and the ends 21 and 28 intermediate the extremities of the unit. These ends 25 to 28 inclusive are closed by means of caps 29 immediately subsequent to the completion of the condenser units, in order to prevent rustingA of the insides of the tubing or the introduction of foreign material into the tub- Thesev caps 29 are not removed until the condenser unit is actually put into a refrigeration installation.

A pairof mounting brackets 30 for the condenser III can be brazed thereon simultaneously with the brazing together of the complementary halves A and B. These brackets can receive bolts (not shown) from a stand or base support to secure the condenser in fixed position in a refrigerator.

. Each bracket 30 is a U-shaped metal strip extending vertically upward from thebottom of the unit near the end plates I5 and I8 thereof and straddling several ns of the unit. I

The Ushapedmembers include al flat outer wall 3| with bolt-receiving apertures 32 therethroughl and inturned legs 33 extending from the outer wall between the ns I3 to the tube legs. The inner ends of the bracket legs 33 are recessed as at 34 to snugly receive about three tube legs as best shown in Figure 4.

'I'he brackets are merely set in position on the condenser unit and secured to the tube during the regular brazing operation.

Instead of reducing the ends` of the tube legs 20 as at 22 (Figs. 6 and 7), the tubelegs 20 can remain unreduced as shown in Figure 8 if the ends of the tube legs I9 are enlarged as at 35 to receive the unreduced tube` ends.

Thus, as indicated in Figure 8, the ends of the female tubes can be swaged after the fins are assembled thereon, to an inside diameter slightly less than the= outside diameter of the male tubes 20 so as to receive the unreduced ends of thesel -tubes in a tight, force-fitting relation. 'I'he swaged portions preferably extend back about three-eighths toone-half inch from the ends of the tube legs I9 so as to receive an appreciable length of the male tube therein.

The mouth of each swaged portion 35 has about a 30 bevel 35 therein to facilitate insertion of the male tube. A curved or sloping shoulder 31 connects the swaged portion 35 with the unenlarged portion of the tube legs I9. This shoulder is preferably curved on about .05 inch radius.

'I'he ends of the male tubes 20, or the inside of the swaged portionv 35 are coated vwith bracing material and the male tube ends are force-tted into the swaged portion 35 of the female tubes until they engage the shoulder 31 of the female tubes. The brazing operation, described above,A then permanently unites the telescoped male and female tube legs.

The joints resulting lfrom the operations described above in connection with Figure 8 do not interfere with refrigerant ow through the tubes since the inserted male tubes are unreduced and directly receive fluid from the unreduced portions of the female tubes. The enlarged swaged portion 350i re female tubes accommodates the telescoping relationship without reof the condenser.

ducing the cross-sectional flow area of the conl than the joints along the median line o! the condenser when the half sections are united. In

accordance with this invention, these joints are ,of the press t, telescoping type, so that when brazed, they can readily be made iluid tight. By merely selecting the length of tubing originally necessary to give the desired overall length of condenser, any size of condenser can be made with a minimum amount of tooling.

The use of copper plating, as abovedescribed, obviates the use of any other form of bxazing material, the copper of the electroplate constituting the sole brazing means for all of the joints This results in considerable saving in manual labor over the application of brazing wire, shims or the like, as has heretofore been customary.4 If desired, as explained above, the copper plating can be `dispensed with and the brazing materials can be applied in paint or paste form to the parts to be joined together. The electroplating 'operation is only one method of applying copper Kor other brazing material to the parts.

It will, of course, b'e understood that `various details of construction may be varied through a Wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of'the appended claims. l

I claim as my invention:

1. Ina condenser unit of the headerless type composed of U-shaped tubes defining a serpentine path and spaced fins mounted on the tubes, the improvement which comprises a pair of U-shapedmounting brackets for the unit extending from one end thereof, each of said brackets straddling a. plurality of-said fins-and having recesses in the legs thereof snugly receiving a. plurality of tubes, and metal bonds of high f thermal conductivity uniting said ns and said brackets to said tubes.

2. In a heat exchanger unit composed of tubes dening a serpentine path and spaced cooling fins mounted on and bridging said tubes, the,

improvement which comprises a U-shaped mounting bracket for the unit straddling several of said ns and having recessed legs receiving a plurality of tubes in the recesses thereof andy provement which comprises a mounting bracket for the unit having a recessed portion extending between a pair of adjacent fins, said portion receiving a plurality of tubes in the-recesses thereofand metal bondsof high thermal conductivity uniting said ns and said brackets to said tubes.

EDGARD C. FRANCO-FERREIRA, 

